Belt buckle



F, J. o'BmEN BELT BUCKLE Jun@ 4, 1940.

Filed May 14, 1938 Patented June r4, `1940 PATENT OFFECE.

BELT BUCKLE l Frederick J. OBren, Nutley, N. J. Applicaciqn May 14,193s, serial No. 208,002

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to buckles and more particularly tocertain new and useful improvements in belt buckles.

It has for one of. its objects to provide a buckle of this characterwhich is so designed and constructed as to automatically permit theexpansion and contraction of the belt while being worn and to beadaptable to self-adjustment in response to like movements of the waistof the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-adjusting beltbuckle which is simple, compact and inexpensive in construction andwhich affords extreme comfort to the wearer.

A still further object is the provision of. a belt buckle of thischaracter wherein its adjustable parts are eectually enclosed and dangerof such parts catching on the clothing of the wearer is eliminated.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a belt showing my improvedbuckle associated therewith. Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectiontaken substantially in the plane of line 2 2, Figure 1. Figure 3 is` avertical longitudinal section taken on line 3 3, Figure 2. Figures 4 and5 are cross sections taken on the correspondingly-numbered lines inFigure 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved buckle consists of, a basemember or body plate I0 and a swinging cover or retaining plate II, theformer having an ear or extension I2 at one end to which one end of thebelt I3 is attached in any suitable manner, the opposite or free end ofthe belt being adapted to be adjustably fastened between such plates andbeing provided with the usual row of apertures I4 for adjusting the beltto the buckle.

The body plate I!! is shaped to provide a sub-- stantially hollow orbox-like structure to provide a guide-way or chamber I5 for abelt-engaging slide bar I6 having a stud or projection I 1 thereon withwhich one or another of the belt-perforations I4 is adapted to engage.While the boxlike structure or chamber I5 of. the body plate I0 forsupporting and guiding the slide bar may be constructed in anyappropriate manner, I form it by providing such plate with upper andlower side ilanges I8, I8 which terminate short of their opposing inneredges to provide a longitudinal passage or slot I9 for the passage ofthe beltengaging stud I'I during the fore and aft movements of the slidebar I6 relative to the plate,

while the lends of the plate-chamber may be closed by end orabutment-flanges 2li and 2l projecting from the plate Il) and sideflanges IS, respectively, as shown in Figure 2.

The slide bar is slidably mounted within the 5 plate chamber I5 and alsohoused within this chamber is a spring 22, one end of, which abuts theplate-flange 20 while the other end abuts against the inner edge of theslide bar and normally functions to retain the slide bar in its exl0treme extended condition against the opposing end flanges 2|, as seen inFigure 2. When the waist of the wearer is expanded by bending of thebody or otherwise, the slide bar is free to slide in a direction againstthe tension of the spring 15 22 and thereby adjust the belt to theexpanding movements of the waist, and upon the contraction of the waistto normal the spring automatically urges the slide bar to its initialposition.

The cover plate II, which serves to hold the 20 free or perforated endof. the belt in coupled engagement with the slide bar stud I'l, ishinged to swing vertically toward and from the body plate I0', and forthis purpose it has side flanges 23 projecting rearwardly from its topand bottom edges 25 which overlap the corresponding edges of the mainbody plate in the closed-position of the cover and which terminate atone end in opposing hinge lugs 24 which are adapted to engage companionopenings 25 in the adjoining top and 30 bottom portions of the sideflanges I8 of -the body plate I0. The free end portions of thecoverflanges 23 have teats 26 formed thereon which are adapted tointerlock with companion recesses 2l formed in the opposing portions ofthe body- 35 plate, whereby to retain the cover plate frictionally inits closed position.

In applying the belt, the cover plate l I is swung open, the free end ofthe belt is passed between the resulting gap formed between the hingeportion of the cover plate and the body plate I0 and the properbelt-perforation III is engaged with the stud II of. the slide bar I5,after which the cover plate is closed. Upon the expanding andcontracting movements of the waist of the wearer, the belt ispermittedto expand and contract by reason of the tensioned belt-engagingslide bar I6, the spring 22 contracting in response to eX- pandingmovements of the waist to permit a movement of the slide bar in onedirection, and upon the waist being restored to normal the springtension urges the slide bar in the opposite direction or to its initialposition.l

I claim as my invention:

1. A belt buckle, comprising` relatively displaceable body and coverplates between which the free end of a belt is adapted to be fastenedand to one of which plates the opposite end of the belt is connected,the body plate having upper and lower side flanges bent inwardly fromthe upper and lower edges thereof to provide a guide chamber and saidflanges terminating short of their opposing edges to provide alongitudinal guide passage, a slide bar `guided in the chamber of saidbody plate, a belt-'engaging stud on said bar projecting through saidguide passage, and a spring arranged in said guide chamber and inoperative engagement with said slide bar for yieldingly resisting itsmovement in one direction.

2. A belt buckle, comprising relatively displaceable body and coverplates between which the free end of a belt is adapted to be fastenedand to one of which plates the opposite end of the belt is connected,the body plate having upper and lower side flanges bent inwardly fromthe upper and lower edges thereof to provide a guide chamber and saidflanges terminating short of their opposing edges to provide alongitudinal guide passage and being provided at their opposite endswith laterally-bent abutments forming end closures for the guidechamber, a slide bar guided in the chamber of said body plate, abeltengaging stud on said bar projecting through said guide passage, anda spring arranged in said guide chamber and bearing at one end againstthe companion flange-abutments and at its other end against said slidebar, the latter normally abutting the flange-abutments at the other endof said body plate.

3. A belt buckle, comprising relatively displaceable body and coverplates between which the free end of a belt is adapted to be fastenedand to one of which plates the oppositeV end of the belt is connected,the body plate having upper and lower side flanges bent inwardly fromthe upper and lower edges thereof to provide a guide chamber and saidiianges terminating short of their opposing edges to provide alongitudinal guide passage, a slide bar guided in the chamber of saidbody plate, a belt-engaging stud on said bar projecting through saidguide passage, and a spring arranged in said guide chamber and inoperative engagement with said slide bar` for yieldingly resisting itsmovement in one direction, said cover plate being pivoted to said bodyplate and movable to and from a latched position overlying the latter toretain the free end of the belt in connected relation to said slide barandto permit its release therefrom, respectively.

FREDERICK J. OBRIEN.

